Tarka Indian Kitchen. Most my friends give me this ugly face when I mention Tarka. They ask what kind of food they serve and as I tell them Indian, they just dont feel it. You close minded people!!! Try it once time first, then tell me how you feel. Well one night my wife and I decided to go back to Tarka to enjoy their Korma. Luckiily one of my wives friends was out and decided to join us. She was running late so we ordered her a chicken Korma as we did for ourselves. As always we also ordered 2 orders of the garlic Naan bread. She met us about 10 minutes after we got there and right after our food arrived. We all quickly dug in and started eating the Korma sauce with Chicken. Its a very rich and creamy nut sauce. The taste is absolutely amazing. Korma here is served over jasmine rice. The naan bread is lightly chewy but crispy on the outside and is great to use to scoop up the korma to eat. My wives friend was blown away. She said she does not normally eat Indian food but her dish was very very good. I think we gained a new fan of Tarka. I honestly have not tried other dishes here as the Korma is just too good to pass up. Tarka is clean and modern and cook dishes to order. Please give it a try and thank me later. read more

I love Indian food, and I am a big fan of the Clay Pit, but taarka is sub par at best. The food always tastes just a little off. I will say that if I had a hankering for Indian, I would go here first due to location and the service is always good. Plus it's nice that it is less expensive than its counterparts. read more

Very good quick service, relatively inexpensive indian food. Enough authentic flavors to overcome the utilitarian stripmall americana setting. The mango lemonade is outstanding. the lady at the counter couldn't tell vegetarian from vegan, but she went out of her way to make sure my beer was cold, and that bought them a star. read more

My go-to spot for Indian food in South Austin. If you are an Indian food connoisseur, Aka- "I've been to London and had the best mixed grill at this one place", then this may just be mediocre to you. However, if you want fast, deliciously savory dishes then give it a try. I tend to stick with my favorites which are boring, but so damn good! Tikka Masala, Chicken Biryani (just make sure they give you raita! They've forgotten a few times), veggie pakoras, and madra's soup. Have not tried the lassi's here but I am sure usually to stuffed to take on a heavy yogurt drink. Portion sizes are superb. I'd love to see new additions to their menu, but sometimes simple is better. read more

Become a fan of this place! :) Visit this one almost every week. The appetisers are all awesome! Good place for a vegetarian like me. Have tried samosa, samosa chaat, papri chaat, alu gobhi combo! All fabulous. Their breads are very thin but tasteful; one may not be enough. Love to come here! read more

Love this place. So consistant. The food is the draw. Filling, reasonably priced, and fresh! The 10% off for the check-in is just icing on the cake. I get the saag paneer, but always pick at my husbands chicken tikka masala. The naan is always fresh. Definitely a staple. read more

Right off Brodie lane in Sunset valley. This is a great little semi fast food Indian spot that is very good. The naan is fluffy and soft with a great flavor. They've got a few offerings on tap making this a great spot to grub down. read more

I liked Tarka. My partner took me there and it had not only good service, but the food was good too!

Coconut curry with veggies is the perfect vegan dish! Even the rice is aromatic & delicious. Got my order To Go & they were very prompt.

The service was quick. Mixed feeling about food - lamb biryani was average, malai kofta was delicious. The food quantity is less than what you'd expect from other Indian restaurants. But overall a good place for lunch read more

Yum! Good place for Indian takeout. They have seating for dining, but I almost always get it to go. We often get pakora - an order of veggie and an order of chicken. We usually bake them a bit longer at home to make them a crisper. We tend to get Saag Paneer and either a Tikka Masala or a Vindaloo. All of their curry dishes can be Mild, Medium, or Hot - which is a bit odd to not have a fiery hot vindaloo (of course, you can request it hot). Garlic naan is good, but needs a bit more garlic. read more

We go a couple times a month and really enjoy the food. It is fresh and tasty and you can tell them how much spice or heat you prefer and they will help you with that decision. We started out very carefully not being versed in this cuisine. We quickly amped up the heat and spice and look forward to the fresh, tasty food. Try it at least once, maybe twice. If you go on Sunday, try to get there before the after church crowd stops by to eat. I realized I was commenting on Brodie Ln instead of Anderson. I could not figure out how to switch. However, my guess is that the quality is the same. read more

We visited Tarka last week to try out ONLY restaurant in S. Austin. I was hoping for little bit cheaper since it is 'fasfood'. But it is too over priced. Beside, the quantity is really less. We ordered "Malai Kofta" and "Coconut curry with Vegetable" . They come with Rice and we ordered "Naan" too. But still felt hungry after eating. We had samosas to go after that. Two small piece of Samosa costs nearly $4 with Tax. Taste is good, not bad. But not extra-ordinary. I discussed about this place with my colleagues. I see a bigger range of opinion between Indian and Non-Indian Collegues. read more

I can't believe that it took me so long to get to Tarka! The food was great and VERY reasonable. I love Clay Pit and am thrilled to be able to eat the same quality of food at a lesser price point and while I'm out shopping! I'm actually looking forward to my next trip to Home Depot just so I can have lunch at Tarka. The best recommendation is that I went with a Bengali friend who said it was as good as his mama's cooking! We had a little bit of everything. As always, I am partial to anything that has Korma in the title. I can't wait to try the Naaninis. They sound like a perfect blend of cultures. Way to go Balinder and the Clay Pit family! You have a real winner with Tarka. Forget any other place in the entire Brodie area. You can eat at Tarka twice a day 7 days a week and be happy, healthy, and totally satisfied. read more

OMG The Korma here rocks! The rice rocks! I could eat here everyday! My only regret is not eating here sooner. The ONLY 2 complaints I have is 1. the place is kinda loud and 2. I wish they delivered. You can get dine on demand to deliver but I would probably order more often if they delivered. The downside to the korma is it is so f@#%ing good I don't want to order anything else. EVER....I am just afraid to branch out as far as main dishes go. The starters are great! If I wasn't already married, I'd devote my life to this place. I dunno, maybe they add crack to the food because it is addictive! read more

If i didn't have so much exposure in Indian dishes this would easily be a 5 star. I have ate at well over 50 Indian restaurants so i have to be fair and honest about the rating. The best comparison or best way to describe it is, is what Chiptle is to mexican food. It is good, fresh and cheap but as far as real authentic it will pass. I recommend the coconut curry dish as well as their samosa's which are solid, although the naan is often a little dry. read more

I love the Clay Pit, and therefore I'm super excited that there's a quicker, more accessible version down south. The lamb korma is dee-lish! But don't make the same mistake I did and eat it in one sitting - take half home for leftovers. Eating the whole thing is a suicide attempt by food. Of course, there are worse ways to go. read more

flavorful, check. fresh, half a check. fast, no so much. looking at the menu and good reviews, we were pretty excited to try this place out. i haven't had indian food in what feels like too long... fast-food indian? sure why not?! it took a while for our food to come to out. the people behind us and the people behind them got their food long before we decided to see what was going on. we were told it's almost ready. of course. the tarka aloo naanini was ok- pannini style pressed naan stuffed with spiced-up new potatoes, diced tomato, onion and shredded cabbage. at first, it's kind of bland and lacking a real kick, but it comes with some sort of brown cilantro tasting sauce on the side which really helps in the flavor department. the potatoes was what i had the problem with. i know potatoes can be starchy and therefore dry, but these potatoes were difficult to swallow. dry and tough. if i had to guess what old potatoes taste like, this would be it. the "masala fries" were fries heavily sprinkled with, i assume, masala seasoning weren't really all that. more like red, overly salty fries. the chicken tikka masala was ok as well. nothing fantastic, but about as expected with fast-food indian. the pieces of chicken were plentiful, compared to what i've had elsewhere, but too small in my opinion. i'd rather have real chunks over chicken bits. i love it when garlic naan is an option, although i generally believe that naan should come with the entree and order more as need. tarka's garlic naan has plenty of garlic pieces on top with bits of basil making it look very appealing. it's pretty good. not bad. a little chewier and heavier than i prefer, but i've never once put naan into my mouth and hated it. lastly, the mango lassis. i took a "sip" and it's just not for me. i couldn't drink more than that. i've never been a fan of "drinkable yogurt" and don't understand its allure, but there you have it. sweet syrupy tasting yogurt to be enjoyed through a straw. read more

One of the best "fast food" experiences I've ever had.. I was thoroughly pleased with my lamb biryani. It may not have been a huge portion, but that is a good thing as I still had energy tonight after dinner, instead of in a food coma. I like that the lighting is subdued and they offer both beer and wine. The prices may not be McDonald's or as low as some of the hole in the wall (but yummy) places in North Austin, but it's a pleasant space, slightly upscale and clean, which counts for something. I think perhaps the owners have responded to some people complaining about the lack of spice. Our dishes were just right (requiring gulps of water after every other bite, generally) at the Medium spicy. Another good sign - at least 40-50% of the patrons were from the Indian subcontinent. I understand there are limited choices in South Austin, but many of these folks could've eaten at home and chose not to. I will gladly return. read more

I'm from India ,I liked biryani (spicy) in this place though I didn't find Indian chef in kitchen

Tarka has great Indian food. The chicken korma is very good. Word of caution for those that do not like cilantro, they put it on everything. read more

this place is the best. its cheap, quick, easy, and they have an awesome gluten free menu. oh, and its freaking delicious. i eat here wayyyy too often. kind of embarrassing. but its so good (what kind of drugs are they sprinkling in the chicken korma??) and convenient. its like a pei wei, but with indian food. and huge gluten free menu, including pakoras! :) read more

Tarka is seriously my weird/amazing obsession, but I'm not afraid to admit it. I eat here at least once every 2 weeks. Doesn't matter how far I have to drive; I know I will always be greeted by the smell of a perfectly, warm cooked tikka masala chicken + basmati rice. Yes, the portion of the chicken could be a little more generous, but the sauce makes up for it. The mango lemonade is also crisp and delicious! Perfect compliment to a savory meal. Garlic naan is a MUST! read more

Tarka is absolutely delicious! The medium spice is perfect if you want a little burn, but still a lot of great flavor. Everything I've tried is delicious and the servings are perfect for sharing and leftovers. It's a nice change from the day-in-day-out boredom of your average take-out. Highly recommended! read more

You pretty much need to have the chicken korma from here before you die. Once a week at least.

I found this place online and my friend and I went there on a whim that evening. I am totally addicted to the Coconut Curry Chicken now. It's soooo yummy! We have been back many times since then and food and service have always been great! read more

I enjoy this place. Definitely is not authentic but the food is very tasty. I usually get the chicken biryani and some Nan. The food is a little too salty so I would recommend they rethink the way they season the food. Nonetheless the food is tasty enough for me to return. Recommend. read more

I had the Saag Paneer and it was great! I will love having this place in South Austin. Everything was clean, there were a lot of other patrons there, and they have free Wi-Fi. read more

So this is my first Yelp review; normally I just read other people's, but I felt compelled to join Yelp simply to write this review. If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have given this place 5 stars. It's quick, it's close, it's tasty Indian food - in South Austin! Unfortunately, about 3 weeks ago my husband and I got takeout from there on a Saturday night, and we noticed that the food looked...well, off. Not as pretty as normal, kind of sloppy and like someone just threw it in the containers haphazardly. Now that would have been OK, but the next day, we both came down with a severe case of food poisoning, within 1 hour of each other! As this was the only meal we had in common within the prior 48 hours, we knew it had to be Tarka. We haven't eaten there since, and previously we were regular (~every 2 weeks at least) customers. To me, this says that something is wrong there - they need to run a tighter ship. I won't return until I see them score at least a 99 on their next health inspection. read more

It's like a Pei Wei for Indian food. The food was great and the portions are large! Prices are good too. Friendly and helpful staff. And the food comes out quickly. read more

I was so exited to see Tarka come to South Austin. We don't have a lot of Indian food down here with the exception of Whip-In and India Kitchen on E. Riverside (review coming soon). Even more excited to see it was from the Clay Pit folks. I've eaten there four times now with mixed results. The samosas are awesome. I love that they combine mint and tamarind chutney. I've done that for years in the small sauce bowls, but never mixed totally together - just made sort a yin-yang design in the same bowl with them. Very yummy mixed together. Love the korma and the saag paneer. But BEWARE of the so-called "vindaloo"! Tres nasty. I was expecting, you know, vinadloo. What I got was something more along the lines of icky, vaugely chineese buffet sweet and sour something. Chicken Biriyani - medium spice was quite good. The service - not so much. Every single time we've been here, one person at the table has to wait and wait and then wait some more for their entree. The appetizers come quickly. The choices are everyone else at the table sits and looks at their cooling food or goes ahead and eats in front of the unfortunate soul who loses the "wait" lottery for the evening. We have waited to the point of having to go ask about the missing entree, being told it would be right out and waited longer. If the others go ahead and eat while their food is hot, unfortunate soul has to eat alone and make everyone else wait after they're finished. Bringing everyone's food to table at the same time doesn't seem like too much to ask or a hard concept to master. Seriously. Thinking about this just made me lower my review by a star. I would say it is probably in the 2.5 star range. read more

The staff is great, food is great, atmosphere is great...everything about Tarka is great! I've never had a bad experience when I've visited. I definitely recommend the chicken korma - a must have! read more

Love love this place. Reminds me of Firebowl Cafe how they have the menu set up and how they have you order. I've had the Tikka Masala with chicken and I've tried it with vegetables too. Also got the regular naan and both were delicious. Love going to this place and you can even order online before you go so that you don't have to wait. read more

Yum Yum Yum!! My co-workers turned me on to this place and it is always delicious. A tad pricey for lunch but really worth it as I almost always have leftovers. And let's face it - Indian food leftovers are always better the next day. read more

I get so conflicted reading conflicting reviews but I walked in and the smell was so good, it pushed me to trust I was going to have amazing food. I was right. All you Tarka haters can stop reading because this food is bangin' the biryani and the samosa and the sauce that accompanied those can be my last meal. It is that good. I've had Indian food all over the world but that meal, dagnabit it was fantastic! Go now. Thank me later. read more

Great food! Fast service! If you aren't familiar with Indian entrees and sides, ask the order taker to recommend a meal for you. They're happy to do that, and you'll want to grab a take-home menu so you can mark down what you've had so you can recall next time what you want to order. Don't forget to try the mango drink . . . it goes very well with the spicy Indian dishes. read more

If you are passing by Austin, this is quick and decent choice for Indian food. Our order came very quickly. Mango lassi is really good. Roti came fresh and hot. Dal talks and rice is satisfying. read more

The vegetable Mirch Masala is just like the dish I get at Clay Pit, but HALF THE PRICE! And I don't have to go downtown to get it! The dining area is always busy, but very clean. The staff is very friendly and willing to explain things (despite the constant line of people). They also accept the Go Local card! $1 off my meal makes it even better. My only complaint is the naan isn't the best, but I get so much rice with my meal, who needs the extra carbs-!? read more

So good. Delicious, affordable and convenient. Love all the dairy & gluten free options.

Tarka is always so good! Clean restaurant and friendly staff! Been coming here for years! Sad when I went in today and they got rid of Nanninies and veggie pakoras! -1 Star for no Pakoras! read more